Boots and shoes



Dec. 1, 1970 M. 1.. AUSTIN ETAL 3,543,316

BOOTS AND SHOES Filed Feb. 20, 1969 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Mfncus 1.01m AusTW l E Jamar/MN AUJH%RNEY Dec. 1, 1-970 M. L. AUSTIN .ETAL 3,543,316

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United States Patent Ofice 3,543,316 Patented Dec. 1, 1970 68 Int. Cl. A tsd 11/00, 3/00 US. Cl. 12-142 12 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A footform having over that area defined by an underside plan view three-dimensional contours which are identifiable with the three-dimensional contours over the corresponding area of the human foot. A process of making a article of footwear composed wholly or in part of moulded material and using a footform as specified above, the material flowing to conform itself to the three-dimensional contours. An article of footwear made by the above process so that the top surface of the sole has three-dimensional contours which are identifiable as being complementary to the three-dimensional contours on the underside surface of the human foot.

This invention relates to footwear, namely boots and shoes.

According to one aspect of this invention, a process of making an article of footwear composed wholly or in part of moulded or injected material uses a footform which, over that area defined by an underside plan View, has three-dimensional contours which are identifiable with the three-dimensional contours over the corresponding area of the human foot, and said material flows to conform itself substantially to the said underside three-dimensional contours of the last or footform.

By the term footform it is intended to include lasts on which uppers are lasted and which may then be used as part of the mould in the moulding or injecting process for forming for example the sole.

In further development of the invention, said underside three-dimensional contours of the footform may merge with the upper-side three-dimensional contours, as defined by that area of the footform seen in top-plan view, without the abrupt change of contour necessitated by a defined feather line and the moulded or injected material then flows to conform itself to said upper-side threedirnensional contours and so form at least a part of the boot or shoe upper. Thus the footform may have contours identifiable with the contours of the human ankle and the moulded or injected material flows to conform itself to these latter contours.

In the process of the invention the moulded or injected material in flowing to conform itself to said underside three-dimensional contours of the footform may at the same time form the whole thickness of the shoe sole, or alternatively only part of the thickness thereof, to the underside of which part sole an additional outer sole is subsequently attached.

By the process of the invention the inside surface of the shoe, at least over the sole area, is shaped to conform to the general shape of the foot and this is beneficial to foot comfort and the reduction of foot fatigue, since the foot and shoe form a more unified system, rather than the foot being arbitrarily packaged in the shoe.

The three-dimensional contours of the footform will, without losing their identity with those of the human foot, be selected to take into account the changes of contour of the human foot during walking. Since no two pairs of feet are identical, for general applications, the

contours provided on the footform will also be the best compromise of the variations in different feet. In the case of special applications the footform may have a basic shape provided by a main body and be adapted to receive inserts in order to add individual three-dimensional contours to the footform.

The footform may be constructed wholly or in part of flexible material which may be forced to its operative shape by the application of hydraulic or pneumatic pressure to the interior of the footform.

The process of the invention does not preclude the use of separately formed insoles providing they are of such a nature, for example apertured, so as not to prevent the moulded or injected material conforming itself to the three-dimensional contours of the footform.

Although the known method of introducing rubber or plastics material into the mould is to introduce it directly into the sole space from the outside parts of the mould, the facility may be provided in carrying out the process of the invention for the material to be injected through the footform. Such facility could conveniently be used where flow of the material is required to form the upper or a part thereof which cannot be conveniently formed by material flowing upwardly from the sole.

In order that the invention may be readily understood, one process in accordance therewith will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGS. 1a and 1b show respectively a footform in accordance with the invention and a conventional footform, and

FIGS. 2a and 2b to 5a and 5 b show sections on the lines II-II to VV of FIGS. 1a and 1b.

From a comparison of FIGS. 1a to 5a with FIGS. 1b to 5b, the difference between the footform of the invention and a conventional footform can be readily appreciated. In particular it can be immediately seen that the footform of FIGS. la to 5a has on its underside the general shaping of the human foot, whereas the conventional footform of FIGS. lb to 5b has a substantially constant convex curvature on its underside. Also the underside shaping merges smoothly with the top side shaping, Whereas in the footform of FIGS. 1b to 5b there is an abrupt change necessitated by presence of the feather line 10.

Having shown the basic shape of the footform in some detail it is felt not to be necessary to illustrate the apparatus used in the moulding process since this could be the same as or simple modifications of existing apparatus. Thus where both the sole and upper are to be moulded in one on a footform as shown in FIGS. 1a to 5a a suitable complementary outer mould would be provided and provision would be made for the fitting of lace holes or other fastenings and tongues.

The footform shown in FIGS. 1a to 5a can also be used simply to mould the sole, the upper being lasted on the footform or being transferred to it for the moulding after lasting. Where the lasting method involves the use of insoles these must be able to conform precisely to the underside three-dimensional contours of the footform possibly under the action of heat or permit the injected or moulded material to do so. Where no insole is involved in the lasting method, the moulded or injected material is free to conform itself to the underside threedimensional contours of the footform, either directly or with the intervention of a layer of upper material lying next to the footform.

We claim:

1. A process of making an article of footwear composed at least in part of moulded material, wherein there is used a footform which, over that area defined by an underside plan view, has three-dimensional contours which are identifiable with the three-dimensional contours over the corresponding area of the human foot, and wherein the said material is flowed about said footform to conform itself substantially to the said underside threedimensional contours of the footform.

2. A process of making an article of footwear composed at least in part of moulded material, wherein there is used a footform which, over that area defined by an underside plan view, has three-dimensional contours which merge with the upperside three-dimensional contours over the corresponding area of the human foot and which marge with the upperside three-dimensional contours of the footform, as defined by that area of the footform seen in top plan view, without the abrupt change of contour necessitated by a defined feather line and said material is flowed about said footform to conform itself substantially to the said underside three-dimensional contours to form at least a part of the sole of the article of footwear and to conform itself substantially to the said upperside three-dimensional contours to form at least part of the upper of an article of footwear.

3. A process as claimed in claim 2, wherein the footform has three-dimensional contours which are identifiable with the contours of the human ankle and wherein said material flows to conform itself substantially to said last mentioned contours.

4. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein said material in flowing to conform itself to the underside threedimensional contours of the last or footform at the same time forms the entire thickness of the shoe sole.

5. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein said ma terial in flowing to conform itself to the underside threedimensional contours of the footform forms a part of the intended finished thickness of the shoe sole beneath which an additional outer sole is subsequently attached.

6. A footform for making an article of footwear, said footform having, over that area defined by an underside plan view, three-dimensional contours which are identifiable with the three-dimensional contours over the 4 corresponding area of the human foot and adapted to have a mouldable material flowed thereabout to form an article of footwear.

7. A footform as claimed in claim 6 and of composite form at least a part of the shaping being provided by at least one shaped piece attached to a main body of the footform.

8. A footform as claimed in claim 6 and constructed of or having a component constructed of ,a flexible material and arranged to be forced to its operative shape by fluid pressure applied to the interior of the footform.

9. A footform as claimed in claim 6, 'wherein provision is made for the introduction of moulding material through the footform.

10. An article of footwear having at least a part of the sole formed from moulded material, the top surface of the sole having three-dimensional contours which are identifiable as being substantially complementary to the three-dimensional contours on the underside surface of the human foot.

11. An article of footwear as claimed in claim 10, wherein at least a part of the upper adjoining the sole is formed from said moulded material and the said part of the upper merges with the top surface of the sole in a smooth curve.

12. A footform as claimed in claim 6 and of a composite form at least a part of the shaping being provided by at least one shaped piece attached to a main body of the last.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,134,209 10/1938 Schwenker 1---. 12-133 2,371,75;1 3/1945 Freeman -.--1- 12- 133 X 3,228,048 1/ 1966 Tusa et a1. 12133 PATRICK D. LAWSON, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 12-133 

